25 Suffolk detectives probe cause of East End fires
The fires, which primarily impacted the Westhampton area, spread quickly due to strong winds.
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Suffolk County officials are working to determine if an arsonist is to blame for the recent wildfires that scorched 600 acres of land on the East End.
Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said 25 detectives are involved in the effort. The team is utilizing drones, helicopters, surveillance footage, and 911 caller information to pinpoint the fire's source.
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"We’re always going to investigate it as a possible arson until we can rule that out," Commissioner Catalina said. "We're trying to find the origin of the fire to determine whether or not it was started by natural means or something else."
The fires, which primarily impacted the Westhampton area, spread quickly due to strong winds. However, experts are also considering the possibility that the fire was exacerbated by an environmental factor—the Southern Pine Beetle. The invasive insect has been responsible for killing tens of thousands of trees in the Pine Barrens, leaving behind dry, dead wood.
In November of last year, state officials had raised concerns about the potential fire risk posed by the dead trees. Acting Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton acknowledged that while the beetle's impact on the area is a concern, it likely did not contribute significantly to the fires this past weekend.
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"The Southern Pine Beetle will result in some dead trees, which will obviously be fuel to the fire," Lefton said. "While we don’t see that as a major issue for this particular fire, it’s something we are proactively working on."
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine emphasized the danger posed by the dead trees. "While it may not have been a major contributing factor, nevertheless, should a fire start up, these trees are dead—they’ve been dead for a while—they’re fodder for a fire," he said.
Police Commissioner Catalina assures that the investigation will continue, and the origin of the wildfires should be determined within the next few days.
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